Darkness
by Jasmine Shigeru
Summary: Set Post Not Fade Away. At the end of his greatest battle, Angel finds himself alone and without a purpose.
1. Prologue Loss

Title: Darkness

Author: Jasmine Shigeru

Pairing: C/A

Summary: At the end of his greatest battle, Angel finds himself alone and without a purpose.

Author Note: I'm sorry if it's not good. I tried my best.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Angel/Buffy the Vampire Slayer nor do I wish I do. This is just for my entertainment and whoever wishes to read it. I am not making any profit from this and do not care to for that matter.

Rating: T

Darkness

By: Jasmine Shigeru

Prologue-Darkness

**(AN: This part is not supposed to be real long. I wanted short.)**

At the end of a long night, well several long nights, a battle was fought and won. Good had once again conquered evil. It had taken several weeks to accomplish. Monsters, demons, and other ghastly creatures were all taken down by a handful of do-gooders. Now, with the battle won they all retreat, many finding places away from the carcasses to mend their wounds and rest.

By sunrise, only four champions remained in the alley where it all began. A Godlike being, Illyria, two vampires with souls, Angel and Spike, and human, Charles Gunn retreated into a nearby building.

One of the vampire, the one named Angel, looked around and stared at his remaining team. There had been seven of them when they began the war t he day of the battle, but had lost three. Two died, one in battle and the other killed by the one that left of his own accord.

The first souled vampire smiled. He was happy they survived another apocalypse. He just wished all of his friends could share this victory with him.

At the thought of all that he lost, Angel's expression turned stoic. He lost everyone he called family in the past five years. One by one they all died, all except Gunn, and Connor. Allan Francis Doyle, Cordelia Chase, Winifred Burkle, and Wesley Wyndam-Pryce were the casualties. They all died because they fought the good fight. They left Gunn and himself in dark place, a place they hadn't been in since they joined the fight.


	2. Chapter 1 Lost

Chapter One-Lost

It was a while before the four champions decided to leave the building and find another place to go, and that place was the Hyperion Hotel. All but one was still exhausted from the war they just fought and they couldn't wait to fall into a bed. Two, went as fast as they could up the stairs. The other two were not ready to give in to sleep.

The warrior, Illyria, a being who had taken Winifred "Fred" Burkle's life and now occupied her body, didn't need much rest and was ready to travel out into the streets for another battle. But it was day and she knew she couldn't go out. She decided to go down into the basement.

Spike, the second Vampire to gain a soul, found a room first and by the smell of it he could tell it had belonged to no one. It had no sunlight and the mattress was stripped bare, but it would suit his needs for the day. He was still injured from the fight and he needed blood to heal completely. At night, he would go in search of a blood bank, but for now, he would only sleep.

Charles Gunn was next to find a room. The room was once Fred's and he had shared it with her for a time. Shaking his head, Gunn did not want to think about the young physicists and their dead relationship. He needed to sleep. He was supernatural or a demon, he was human and needed the sleep most of all. He had almost died several times and wanted to fall into the forgetfulness of sleep.

Angel one other hand, just as weak and tired as the others, remained downstairs. He looked around the hotel lobby. It was just as he left it. Empty, deserted, torn apart by chaos. The place had once held such happy memories. His son and his friends, all except a few gone and wasn't sure how long they would remain loyal to him. They all had the right to leave. They did their duty and served there purpose. Now, what was left?

Like the hotel, Angel felt hollow. The companions he left could never feel the void inside him, a void that had been growing since the death of his first seer, Doyle. It spread and engulfed all that was left. Cordelia, Connor, Fred, and Wesley all succumbed to the blackness that surrounded him since the night Darla, his sire, made him into the monster Angelus.

The vampire closed his eyes to the sadness in his dead heart. He shouldn't think of such things. He had to move on, but to where? There was nothing left. He had signed over his redemption; he had signed it away and for what, an empty hotel and an eternal life of darkness? He had no seer to guide him back into the light, back to the good fight. They had both died. He hardly had a family to fight for.

Angel began to climb the stairs of the Hyperion. He was beginning to feel tired again and needed his rest. He would figure out what to do with the remainder of his existence tomorrow night.

End of Ch. 1


	3. Chapter 2 Moving On and Staying Behind

**AN: My missing chapter. Even though this story works without it, it bugged me not to have it in here. I have it marked as complete in my notes, but have lost the notebook I've written in. So, I rewrote it.**

Chapter Two-Moving On and Staying Behind

It was not long after the world was back to normal, well as normal as a world filled with demons, vampires, monsters, werewolves, and slayers could get, that the Fang Gang, what was left of it anyways, began to go their separate ways.

Illyria was the first to depart. She was a powerful being and thrived on destruction. When the world calmed, she did not like it and set out to find a place where she could find a good battle. She left no parting worlds nor did she reveal where she was going. She just simply left. Angel, Gunn, and Spike, did nothing. All they could do was watch her leave.

Spike was the next one to leave. He was a champion in his own right and he didn't want to stand in Angel's shadow. Los Angeles was Angel's territory, Spike needed his own and New York seemed like the best place for him to go.

"I'm leaving," he said standing in the doorway of what was once Angel's then Wesley's office.

Angel just stared at him.

"I'm going to New York," the blond vampire said. "LA is you're city. I need somewhere to call my own."

Angel nodded. This was one of the times Spike was being civil with him and he didn't want to ruin the moment.

"Is that all you can do nod?" Spike said raising his voice a bit, irritated that the older vampire had nothing to say. "I'm bloody leaving."

"What do you want me to say, Spike," Angel asked. "That I'm going to miss you, that I need you here? Well fine, I am going to miss you, but the truth is I don't need you here. You're right LA is mine and you need to be a hero that has his own city, You need to make a name for yourself as a white hat, not someone who is part of my team."

Spike was actually speechless by this.

"You're right mate," he said after a beat. "I do."

With that the blond vampire with a soul left the Hyperion and LA. And secretly Angel wished him well.

It was not long after Spike left, that Gunn left too. He wanted to still help the helpless and get back to his roots. It wasn't that he hated being part of Angel Investigation, he loved it there, it was just that there was no more Angel Investigations.

"So, you're leaving too," Angel said to Gunn as the black man hoisted a packed backpack onto his shoulder.

"Yeah," Gunn said. "It seems like the right thing to do. I'm not immortal. I can't just sit around and wait for my life to get back together. I have to go and see what I can do, out there."

Angel nodded and rubbed his hands together.

"I understand," the vampire said. "You need to do this."

"I would like to stay and help you man, I would, but there's nothing left here, it's time for me to move on, go back to my crew, and fight with them again."

"Well, I'm not going to try and stop you," Angel said approaching his friend. "I'm just going to wish you luck and tell you not to go and get yourself killed."

Angel held out his hand and smiled a small, sad smile.

Gunn shifted his bag and gave a half cocked smile to his friend and took his hand and shook it.

"Same to you," he said.

So, the tall black man, shaved his head once again and left the old hotel for the streets of LA.

Angel didn't blame him. He knew Gunn was doing what he felt he had to do. Nearly dying can change a man's prospective on everything. So, can losing all of your friends. Which brings Angel back to the forefront.

The first vampire with a soul, just like he was six years ago, he was alone. Even more so now, than he was before, this time there will be no Doyle or Cordelia to come around and make him feel alive again. This time the vampire wasn't going to let any body in. He didn't want anyone else to die on his behalf. And this time he didn't want to even to attempt to help the helpless, because this time, like Cordelia's partying words had revealed to him, he was one of them and needed someone to save him.

END OF CH. 2


	4. Chapter 3 The Mission Continues

Chapter Three-The Mission Continues

The Vampire Angel was alone again. Just like he was alone 10 years ago, he had no one. No friends, no enemies, no lovers. It was as like his self imposed exile many years ago, before Sunnydale, before Buffy. He wondered the streets feeling guilty over the lives he took, but now the souled vampire felt a new kind of guilt, a guilt he hadn't felt since Doyle's, his first seer, death.

It was his fault his friends they all would still be alive. Wesley died fighting a battle Angel had begun, Fred's life ended because of his decision to join Wolfram & Hart, an evil law firm, and Cordelia died because of her loyalty to him. The beautify seer would have had a life of fame, if she had not met him at a party five years ago.

Their deaths weighed on Angel's already burdened soul. His friends' deaths only made it ten times worse.

Angel walked the dark streets of LA. Not really caring where he was or who was around him. He needed to get out of the hotel. Actually, it was more like something pushing him out onto the streets, something inside telling him that he should get out of the hotel.

Now that he was out on the night darkened streets of one of the more seedy neighborhoods of LA, Angel wasn't sure why he listened to that inner voice, that wasn't his own. He wasn't sure until he heard a woman's voice cry out from the alley ahead of him.

Angel felt the need to help the woman, but a day or two ago he decided not to continue on with the mission. He no longer felt he had a purpose. There was no longer a reward for him. He signed his Shanshu away.

The vampire sped up his pace. He wanted to ignore the woman's cries. He could sense three vampires in the alley. They were much younger than he, but old enough to know the fun of playing with their food. They weren't going to kill the woman for another few minutes. There was still plenty of time to save her.

Angel continued to walk, they alley drawing closer. The woman's fear invaded his senses, reminding the vampire that he hadn't eaten for over a month. He could easily slip into the alley, scare away the younger vampires, and have the woman all to himself.

"_No, you don't want her_," a woman's voice said in his head.

The same voice that whispered to him to leave the Hyperion.

Angel brushed the voice off as his conscience, his soul telling him right from wrong.

"_You want to save her_," the voice said.

Angel tried to shrug the voice off as he went to pass the alley. The woman was seconds away from her death by this time. The voice in Angel's head kept calling out, telling him to save the woman.

"_Save her_," the voice kept repeating and Angel found himself standing at the mouth of the alley. His dark presence casting a shadow down the narrow space, causing the vampires to turn to see who was disturbing their fun and meal.

"Hey, pal, beat it," one of the vampires ordered.

Angel stood still, saying nothing, staring at the scene before him.

One vampire, a very round vampire, stood behind the frightened woman. One hand on her hips, arm wrapped around her waist, holding to his form. His other hand was clutching the woman's jaw, forcing her head to tilt, exposing the woman's soft, milky neck.

In front of the round vampire, was a slender vampire, about Wesley's build when he first appeared in Sunnydale. The vampire was dressed entirely in denim, trying to look tougher than he really was.

The third vampire was short, barely Oz's, a young werewolf who had been part of Buffy Summers' team in Sunnydale for about 3 years, height. He couldn't have been no more than 15 when he was turned and Angel could tell out of the three, he was the eldest. Probably, used the others to hunt for him. He was more than likely the smartest out of the trio.

"Hey, buddy," the thin one said. "Keep walking or you'll be next."

"Help me," the woman whimpered.

"Shut up," the round vampire exclaimed, forcing the woman's head further back.

"What's wrong with you?" skinny asked.

He began to approach Angel and Angel's body tensed, ready to attack and rip the younger vampire's head off if he came any closer.

"Watch it, Petey," the kid warned. "This guys an old one, older than me."

"I ain't met no one older than you, Sam," Petey said in disbelief. "He would have to be over a hundred."

"Let's not worry about him," Round said. "I'm hungry."

Sam continued to stare at Angel. Every bit of his instincts told him to run for it. He somehow knew Angel wasn't there to steal their meal.

"No," he ordered. "We need to get out of here."

"But, Sam," Petey whined. "There's three of us and one of him."

Angel flinced. Not because of Petey's words, but because the voice was back.

"_Save her_," it said again. "_It's your purpose, it's your mission_."

Angel's muscles tightened further.

"_Do it now dumbass_," the voice screamed and Angel let out a fierce growl, kicking in a wooden crate beside him, and picking up a piece of the debris.

He attacked Petey first, shocking the slim vampire. Petey didn't have a chance to fight. Angel took the piece of wood and stabbed Petey in the heart. The younger vampire dissipated into dust.

Sam backed further into the alley, behind the round vampire and the woman. His yellow, demonic eyes staring into Angel's, also yellow eyes.

The round vampire tossed the woman aside. She hit the wall hard and rendered unconscious. The unnamed vampire attacked Angel. The battle was short. Angel had age behind him and even in his weakened state he was stronger than the round vampire. It was almost effortless for him to plunge the makeshift stake into the stout vampire's dead heart.

Meanwhile, Sam made his escape, taking the opportunity to run off. He was smarter than he looked. He knew he could not face Angel and survive.

As the dust settled to the already grimy cement floor of the alley, Angel approached the fallen woman. He was hungry and she was hurt, probably cut her head on the wall. He could smell the fresh blood in the air. It was calling to him. He was so hungry.

The vampire lifted the woman's body. He stared down into her tear-stained face. She was hurt, blood running down the side of her young face. She couldn't have been no older than Cordelia was when she died.

Pushing thoughts of his lost seer away, Angel wiped the blood onto his fingertips. He slowly brought them to his lips, just like he did with Tina's, his first innocence when he moved from Sunnydale to LA. Before his red tinted fingers touched his lips, the woman's eyes opened, quickly.

Startled, Angel dropped the woman and stood backing away. The woman stood effortlessly. She slowly walked up to angel. She grabbed Angel's face and stared into his eyes and he noticed one eye was brown and the other was glassed over, nearly completely white.

As the woman gazed up into the surprised vampire's eyes, her face began to glow. The dark all began to brighten as if the sun was rising. The glow from the woman became so bright a flash blinding Angel and for a moment, the vampire couldn't see.

A second later, Angel found himself in a blank plain, like the white room in Wolfram & Hart, only different. The room had a warm feeling to it, like home, like family. The white room at the law firm always felt cold, like someone was always watching.

"_Angel_," said the voice Angel had been hearing all night.

The voice was familiar. It was like a distant memory, something Angel had forgotten long ago.

"Who are you?" he asked sternly.

"_An old friend_," the voice answered with humor in her voice.

"What happened to the woman?" Angel asked.

"_Oh, she's here and there_," the voice answered. "_A vessel to bring you here_?"

"Why am I here?"

"_So you can understand are still needed in the great battle between good and evil_."

"I'm done with the good fight," Angel insisted.

"_You may be done with it, but it is not done with you_," the voice said. "_And you will be rewarded for your efforts. This reward will not and can never be taken away. Beings higher than the Powers That Be believe you deserve to be rewarded_."

"I don't want anything you have to offer," Angel said firmly.

"_We will see_," the voice said and with another blinding flash of light, the blank plain vanished, replaced with the dark alley.

"_Your reward begins when you return to the Hyperion Hotel_."

END OF CH.3


	5. Chapter 4 The Seer

Chapter 4-The Seer

Angel made it to his room without thought. Dawn was nearing and instinct was the only reason he was able to make it home to safety. The words of the bodiless voice still echoed through his mind. The familiarity of the vice haunted him. He could have sworn he had heard the voice before. In fact, he had heard the voice a lot over the past seven or eight years.

Angel tried to place the voice, but was distracted by his hunger and the smell of fresh blood. Absently, he followed his senses to his kitchenette and greedily drank the warm blood fro the dark blue mug on the counter. He didn't wonder how the mug got there, until the last drop touched his tongue.

"You really should eat more," the woman's voice from earlier said. Angel froze. He thought the vice would be gone, but there it was again, except it wasn't coming from inside his head. This time the voice wasn't in his head.

The vampire turned to the source of the voice and he couldn't believe his eyes. The most beautiful of being he had ever laid eyes on. Cordelia Chase sat on his bed wearing the white dress the day she ascended. She looked like a goddess with long brown hair. It was unbelievable.

Angel decided he was dreaming. He made it home and collapsed on his bed and feel into a deep sleep. That was the only way Cordelia would come back to him.

"You look awful," she said. "What, I die and you completely fall apart?"

Angel said nothing as he sniffed the air. The woman before him looked, sounded, and smelled like Cordelia, but Cordelia was dead. She died while she was in a coma.

"Who are you?" the vampire asked cautiously.

"Cordelia Chase," Cordelia said with a snip to her voice.

"It's not possible."

"In our world anything's possible," Cordelia said. "Hell, Buffy died twice and came back both times."

Angel glared at the woman. He couldn't believe she was his Cordelia. His Cordelia died a year ago. Thinking the woman was an imposter, Angel lunged at her, grabbing her neck and pinned her to the bed.

"Who are you?" He growled squeezing her throat.

"I've already told you, dumbass," Cordelia choked out. "I'm Cordelia Chase."

"Cordelia Chase is dead."

"I know, I was there," Cordelia managed to say. "I'm your reward."

"I don't want you," Angel growled.

"Let me go," she said as her eyes began to roll back.

His conscience began to tug at him and Angel lessened his hold but did not release the woman.

Cordelia gasped and cursed whoever brought her back.

"Let me explain," she gasped. "You're still needed."

"I know." 

"Okay, but you can't fight the good fight on your own," Cordelia explained as she began to breathe correctly. "I'm one of the toughest, bravest seers ever known, so I was given a second chance they sent me to you."

"Why?"

This time Cordelia rolled her eyes on purpose.

"Because you need a seer," she answered. "And I need a champion. It was you or Spike."

Angel stared down at his captive. She was supposed to be part of his reward and his partner in the good fight.

As calmly as he could manage, Angel released her.

"I no longer care about the mission," he said quietly.

"I know," Cordelia said sadly. "But you have to start caring again. You're needed, we're needed. We have many more lives to save before we can be at peace. Don't you want peace, Angel?"

Angel stood stoically. Of course he wanted peace, but he gave up hope that he would ever get it a long time ago.

"If you won't fight for yourself, fight for the people on this planet," Cordelia pleaded.

"I'll do it for the people," Angel said.

If he were honest, the vampire would have said he was fighting for himself and all of the people he lost over the past couple of years. He wanted a purpose again and this seemed like the best way.

END OF CH.4


	6. Chapter 5 Connor

Chapter 5 Connor

During the say, Angel could not sleep. He did not trust the woman in the bedroom next to his. She claimed to be Cordelia Chase, a woman dead for a few months now. She said she was part of his reward, but many rewards have been taken away from him.

He listened to the sounds of movement coming from the other room. The woman was making herself at home. Like Cordelia, the woman was bursting into Angel's home, no questions asked.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the room and Angel instinctively ran to see what the matter was. The woman was on the floor, withering in pain. She was having a vision.

"Ah," Cordelia groaned as she lifted her upper body from the floor with one arm and held her head with the other.

"It's Connor. He's in trouble," she reported.

A pause as she sat up to lean her back against the foot of the bed.

"Or he will be in a couple of days. We have to save him."

"Not we, I," Angel commanded. "_I_ will save Connor."

"Hey, I'm going to save him too," the woman insisted.

"No, you're going to stay her where I can find you, until I figure out who you really are."

"I've told you, I am Cordelia Chase," Cordy said. "I was born in Sunnydale and after High School graduation I moved to LA to become an actress and ended being your seer who eventually become possessed by some fallen higher being, fell into a coma, and died."

"How do I know you're not some pawn of Wolfram and Hart sent to bring out my evil side?"

"A, Wolfram and Hart don't even have you on their radar right now. B, if you were, they would want you dead," Cordelia said.

"I still don't believe you're Cordelia," Angel said.

"And I get that, but sooner or later, you're gonna have to start believing."

"I was thinking around never," Angel said leaving the room.

Cordelia huffed and smacked the mattress. She coughed and choked on the puff of dust that rose.

The next day, Angel ignored the woman completely. He knew she had fully into the room beside his and that she often went out to eat. How she paid for the food, Angel did not know, nor did he care. As far as he was concerned the woman didn't exist.

On the day Angel was supposed to save Connor, the woman came barging into the vampire's bedroom. She placed her hands firmly on her hips and glared down at the seated champion.

"Okay, here is how it's going to be," she insisted "We're going to cooperate; we're going to be nice to each other. We are going to exchanged pleasantries every day. We don't have to be friends, but we are going to be nice."

Angel stared at the woman he believed was portraying his best friend. He wanted to rip her head off for ordering him around. She wasn't Cordelia, he didn't have to listen and he didn't have to keep her here either. The vampire stood.

"You are not her," Angel said with a deadly glare.

"I am," Cordelia honestly said,

Fed up, the vampire grabbed the woman by her shoulders.

"Cordelia Chase is dead," he said between clinched teeth. "She died months ago. You are not her. We buried her. I was the last person to see her face. So, don't stand here and try to convince me that you are her when you're not."

Not to be intimidated by the vampire before her, Cordelia returned his deathly stare.

"Buffy died twice," she said in an angry whisper. "The second time she was buried and months later she was brought back. Why can't the same thing happen to me?"

"Because…" was all Angel could say before Cordelia interrupted.

"Because I'm not special," Cordelia questioned with venom. "Because I'm not a chosen one? Because I was supposed to live a normal life?"

Her eyes were challenging him now. Daring him to deny what she was saying.

In Angel couldn't. In his mind, he was screaming she was special, but that was the only thing he could agree with. She wasn't a slayer and he did feel as she was meant to live a normal life.

"I got screwed over," Cordelia continued. "That think that possessed me took my life, left my body a useless shell."

Tears began to form in her eyes. She hated this. She hated the man she loved because he refused to believe it was possible for her to ever return. She sighed.

"Listen, when my mission to reunite you with your family is done and you still don't believe I'm Cordelia Chase, I will leave and never come back," she said and shrugged. "I always wanted to see New York."

Angel released her. He was still angry. He could tell taking his aggression out on the familiar stranger would be useless. He needed her. She had visions. Well, he wasn't exactly sure if the visions the woman had were real.

Cordelia cleared her throat, half trying to calm herself, the other half trying to gain his attention. Once she had it, she stared into his dark eyes.

"It's time to go and save your son," she said, turned, and walked out of the room.

Angel guessed he was about to see how real her gift of sight really was.

Later that night, Angel and Cordelia found themselves at an abandoned dock. There, was Connor, Angel's son, a helpless girl, and a huge water demon. The giant demon had its squid-like tentacles wrapped around its victim and Connor.

"How the hell am I supposed to kill _that_?" Angel asked the seer.

"I don't know," Cordelia shouted back. "Who do I look like, Wesley?"

She stared at the monster. It had three tentacles. Its body was a dark green and slimy. It was covered with seaweed. It had twenty catlike eyes and on the top of its head there was its enormous mouth. The mouth was opened, its thousands of razor sharp teeth sticking out of the wide opening, spiraling down into the chasm of a body.

The demon was constricting Connor and the girl while its third tentacle reached out to the new comers. Angel was able to dodge, but Cordelia failed to move completely out of the monster's grasps.

Cordelia tried to call out for help, but the demon squeezed her tight, cutting of her airway and preventing her from speaking.

It was then that instinct took a hold of Angel. He felt the need to protect not only his son and the strange girl but, the seer who looked like the woman he loved. The vampire swung his broadsword and sliced one of the monster's tentacles off. The innocent girl fell to the wooden dock, unconscious.

The demon let out a horrible sounding howl, flailing its other two tentacles and the bleeding stub where its other limb had been, the black ooze flying everywhere.

Next, the enraged monster attacked Angel with the tentacle that still held Connor. The vampire severed this limb too. The demon's cries became louder as it watched another part of itself fall to the ground, this time onto the pavement.

Connor was conscious but he was unable to move.

The monster swung at Angel with its remaining tentacle and the vampire champion knew that the demon wasn't smart. It lost its last limb and an unconscious seer fell to the ground.

The monster screeched and howled in rage and in pain as it sunk back into the Pacific Ocean.

Angel went to cutting up the dismembered tentacles that were still attacked to its victims. First, the champion released the girl, then Connor, and last Cordelia.

After a moments rest, Connor was fine.

"Thanks," he said.

"You're welcomed," Angel said. "Why were you here?"

"I heard about a sea monster attacking people by the dock," Connor answered. "I have to come here and try to stop it."

Angel nodded and stared down at the still unconscious seer.

"Is that…" Connor began to ask.

"No," Angel answered quickly. "It's just someone or something that looks like her."

"Are you sure?" Connor asked.

His own heightened senses telling him that the seer _was_ Cordelia Chase.

"No," Angel said again.

He bent down and lifted the woman in his arms.

"You should take the girl to a hospital," he said referring the innocent they just saved.

Connor nodded and lifted the girl into his arms.

Angel began to walk away to his Plymouth; he was able to rescue it from Wolfram & Hart.

"I'll Come to the hotel when I'm done," Connor said.

Angel paused for a moment, a sign to Connor that he heard him, and then the vampire continued walking. He placed Cordelia into the backseat. He got into the driver's side, started the vehicle and drove home.

END OF CH. 5


	7. Chapter 6 The Brain

Chapter Six-The Brain

As it would turnout, Connor needed a place to stay. So, he moved back into the hotel. Angel had mixed emotions when it came to this. He was uncertain if it was safe to welcome his son back into his home. Connor had been known to be an angry, vengeful, violent person in his past. When the vampire questioned this, Connor assured him that he had changed, that the memories of his second life had made him more docile. The young man even joked that he would not even tap Cordelia on the shoulder. Thus, reluctantly, Angel allowed his son to come home.

A week passed since then and Connor had settled in fine, picking his old room from before. The young man was taking some college courses and was gone during the day and sleeping or studying during the night. Angel rarely saw him.

Two more week passed and Connor finally ventured to talk to Angel, to have a relationship with his dad. Angel appreciated this and the suggested they train together at least twice a week.

Another week came and went and the bond between father and son grew to the point where they were doing more than training. They had begun to play video games together, watch old movies together, Angel even began to help him with his history assignments.

Angel was finally beginning to relax and feel at home again, like he had a family again, even with the lump on his shoulders that was Cordelia Chase.

The vampire was still uncertain if the woman living down the hall was his love or not. She acted, sounded, smelled, and looked like Cordelia, but he had been fooled once before and he was not about to let her in.

But Connor on the other hand, had not learned this lesson. Around the same time he began opening up to Angel the young man had began to open up to Cordelia as well. One day Angel spoke to him about it.

"I don't trust her," was how the Vampire brought up the topic.

"Who?" Connor asked look up from his Biology text book.

"Cordelia."

Connor sighed and placed his book to the side.

"I understand," he said. "I remember what happened two years ago. But that's all in the past."

"The past can come back to haunt you."

"True, but I trust her," the blue eyed young man said.

"Why?"

"Because I also got my memories back fore before Holtz took me. ALL my memories came rushing back and I remember Cordy was like a mother to me. A boy just can't forget his love for his mother."

Angel did not speak anymore on the subject that day, but he could not stop himself from thinking about how his son accepted Cordelia Chase as his mother and with that thought came the onslaught of emotions, pride, anger, happiness, and sorrow.

So, much had been taken form all of them.

A few days after Angel confronted Connor, Cordelia approached him, Connor at her side.

"Angel?" she asked. "There's something Connor and I would to discuss with you."

Angel glared up at the woman.

"What," he said rudely.

"Well, we wanted to reopen Angel Investigations," Cordelia said.

"No," the vampire nearly growled.

"We need to help people, Angel."

"No," Angel repeated. "It was her idea."

"Her?" Cordelia asked her face scrunching up in confusion. "Oh, you mean "me"? It was my idea to start a detective agency."

"You're not her."

"So, we're back to this again," the woman sighed. "I AM Cordelia Chase. I don't know what I have to do to convince you, but I am her."

Cordelia's voice and face turned from annoyance to sincerity. She sat on his bed and sniffled slightly.

Angel did not change. He felt no sympathy for the woman.

"Dad," Connor finally spoke. "I think it would be a good idea to reopen the agency. We're supposed to be helping people, not staying at home feeling miserable."

"We," Angel said gently now that he was speaking to his son. "Connor you have school."

"True, but there are days when I don't and I can study and answer the phones at the same time. So, can we reopen?"

Angel thought on the subject a little more, making Cordelia and Connor wait a few minutes, before nodding his approval.

It took another week, before the business was up and running. They still had work to do, but they got the phones going and to advertising complete.

Another two weeks passed before they got their first client. It had turned out someone was trying to perform a exorcism of a demon and did not have enough people to complete the circle. The person only needed three people, which was perfect, and was willing to pay a small fee, which made Cordelia happy. The place was in a peaceful suburban community where nothing ever happened.

It just happened to be the best breeding ground for two mating incorporeal demons.

The plan was to make the demons corporeal and kill them. It was something they had done before, a long time ago when it was just Angel, Cordelia, Gunn, and Wesley. It was hard to believe that that was five years ago. It felt like a lifetime to Angel.

When they arrived at the small house, the group was greeted by the family on the front yard. A couple with a infant crouched together.

"Are you the other people that guy hired?" asked the husband.

"Yes," Cordelia greeted. "We're Angel Investigations, we help the helpless."

"Good," said the husband. "The other guy is already inside. He said to let you guys in."

"Okay," Cordelia said and she, Connor and Angel entered the small home.

"It's quaint," the woman said. "Not in a bad way but in a good, homey kinda way."

Angel glared, Connor chuckled, and the man inside questioned.

"Cordelia?" came a British sounding vice. "Oh my god. I thought you were dead."

"Wesley?" Cordelia squeaked. "I thought YOU were dead."

"It's along story," Wesley Wyndam-Pryce said with a smile.

"Same here," Cordelia said and hugged her old friend.

Angel cleared his throat disrupting the reunion.

"Can we get this over with?" he growled.

"Right," Wesley said turning to his things and grabbing four things. A stick of sage incense, he gave this to Connor and told him to light it, an enchanted dagger to Angel, and a bag of herbs to Cordelia. He had an old leather-bound book.

"I will read the incantation, while Connor waves the incense, Cordelia sprinkles the herbs and Angel prepare to attack with the dagger. The spell will not last long."

"Where do we stand?" Connor asked.

"Oh, right," Wesley said a little embarrassed he forgot something so important. "Cordelia stand at the east point, Connor the west, Angel the north, and I will take the south."

He pointed to the ring of yellow sulfur each needed to stand.

"Just to warn you Angel, once you kill the first demon, its mate will be furious."

"Of course," Angel said. He almost smiled. It was like old times before Cordelia was taken away from them, but there were still so many mysteries. Like, why was the being pretending to be Cordelia and why Wesley was alive. Was he another being pretending?

The exorcism went smoothly. There were only a few bumps and bruises. The team left the house and had made it safely back to the Hyperion. They were all smiles, proud that they were able to finish their first case successful.

They were all seated in the lobby, eating leftover pizza and drinking some orange juice.

"Wesley?" Cordelia asked. "How are you here? I mean you were dead and now you're not."

"A higher being came to me after my death," Wesley explained. "She told me it was not yet my time and that I must return to my old life. At first, I was confused, but this being told me to be patient and all will be explained later."

Cordelia nodded.

"That sounds about right," she said.

"It was the same for you?" Wesley asked.

"No. I was told I had to return to Earth, that there had been a mistake, that Angel still needed me. I was reassured that I will return to being a higher being much, much later."

"Oh," Wesley said.

"Well, everything did get worse after you went away," Connor said. "Mostly because of me."

"Connor, don't blame yourself," Cordelia said. "You had a hard life. You had so much hate inside of you, there was nothing any of us, including yourself, could have done to change that. Not then."

Connor nodded.

"Yeah," he said sadly. "Well, I should go to bed. I have a study group tomorrow."

They all said good night to the young man.

"So, Wesley, where are you staying?" Cordelia asked.

"No where really," the British man answered.

"How about you stay here," the woman suggested excitedly.

"I don't know, it will have to be up to Angel," the man looked at the vampire hopefully.

Angel stared back at his friend. He wasn't sure if he should believe Wesley's story.

"Angel," Cordelia said softly.

The vampire looked at her. She looked so much like the woman he loved and at the moment he could not say not to her.

"It's alright if Wesley lives here," he said.

"Great," Cordelia said.

She hooked her arm with Wesley's and dragged him upstairs to pick a room.

"You're going to love living here with us," she said. "Besides, we're going to need a good researcher for Angel Investigations."

Wesley smiled brightly at the woman and Angel frowned. He felt as if he gave in too easily. He listened as Cordelia's voice faded. He really didn't want to trust her but she was worming her way into his heart.

Wesley moved in the very next day. He didn't have much to move. He took the room next to Fred's old room, wanting to be near the thing that once belonged to the woman he loved.

Everything was slowly falling back into place. The business was reopened. Connor, Cordelia, and Wesley were back in Angel's unlife. It all, despite Angel's reluctant to believe it, felt so right. He wondered who else would return.

END OF CH. 6


	8. Chapter 7 The Warrior

Chapter Seven-The Warrior

Weeks after Wesley settled in, Angel Investigations was still slowly returned to its former glory. There were small cases. Some paid, some didn't. All in all, everything was going better than any member of Angel Investigations could have imagined.

The group had settled into a routine. Connor went to school, did his homework, and spent time with his friends. Cordelia spent most of her time cleaning the hotel, trying to restore it to the way it was before she died. Wesley either spent his time reading his books or in Fred's room. And Angel spent most of his time in his room brooding and drawing. Then one week, they spent most of their time on three different cases.

The first, involved a cheating spouse. Angel hated doing these cases, he gladly handed it over to Cordelia. The faithful spouse, a woman, wanted to know why her husband had been acting so suspiciously. She was willing to pay handsomely for any information that could be obtained. Cordelia followed the husband for three days and discovered that he had not been cheating, but was planning a big anniversary for himself and his wife. Not wanting to ruin the surprise, Cordy told the woman that her husband was 100% faithful and when the woman learned of the surprise she paid double the amount she had promised.

The second, a case involving a peaceful demon who wanted to be protect himself and his three mates during their mating season from a rival demon who wanted to kill him and steal his mates. Angel, along with Connor, took this case. The wicked demon had hired three other demons to help him. It wasn't much of a battle, though strong the three hired demons weren't very smart. Angel and Connor were able to outsmart them easily. But the wicked demon was more of a challenge. He was able to injure the father and son before he was killed. Afterward, the peaceful demon rewarded them with fruits.

The third case was Wesley's specialty. A protection spell was needed at a home of a family of eight humanoid demons. The family just wanted to live in peace and to be left alone. He had to place the spell in five points of the house for seven days and the house would be protected for seven years. It was a simple job that paid little, but it was reward enough to help the innocent.

"I'm glad that we're finally done," Cordy said flopping down onto a sofa after she finished sweeping the floor.

"Are you?" Wesley asked as he sat down beside her. "I thought you would welcome the income."

"Oh, I welcome it," Cordy said. "But it's good to relax. I forgot how exhausting it was to work on cases."

Wesley laughed at his friend.

"Well, I guess it will be good to rest while we can," he said.

"Pizza," Connor called as he entered the lobby, carrying a large pizza box. "Anyone hungry?"

"Starving," Cordy answered.

Connor walked to the counter and placed the box on top of it. He then opened it before reaching behind the counter to grab the napkins.

Wesley got up and walked to the counter and Cordelia tried to follow, but was stopped by a vision. The pain took her instantly and she quickly collapsed on the floor, thrashing uncontrollably. She had not missed this part of the visions. Apparently, the entity who took control of her body years ago and not the demon inside her made the visions painless.

In her vision, Cordy saw the docks closest to the hotel. A number flashed before her eyes before she saw a group of people facing far too many vampires for them to handle. She felt several of their deaths. Necks snapped, others bitten, some tossed so far and so hard that their skulls were cracked open on impact. It was a massacre. Humans and vampires destroyed, with little to no survivors.

When the vision was over, Cordy's head was held against Wesley's chest and Connor held her hand in comfort.

She looked around at her surroundings as her vision slowly went from blurry to clear. When she regained focus, she saw Angel overlooking the trio.

"Are you all right?" asked Wesley, forcing Cordelia to focus her attention on him.

"What did you see?" Connor asked.

"A gang of people attacking and being attacked by vampires," Cordy answered. "It was horrible. There was so much blood and dust."

"Was it Gunn?" Wesley asked.

"I don't know," the woman answered lifting her right hand to hold her head.

"When does it happen?" Connor asked.

"Tonight, at the docks, near here, pier 12," was the answer Cordy gave before passing out.

When night came, the men left Cordelia alone in her room to rest, before they headed out to the docks. Just as the seer had said, there was a group of vampires, about twenty of them, standing at pier twelve. They were laughing and joking about killing as many humans as they could that night.

"So, what's the plan?" Connor asked.

"We attack," Angel answered.

"The direct approach," the student said with a mischievous smile. "That should be fun."

"Well, if we plan to attack, we better do it now," Wesley said. "Here come the humans. I count eight. They will not stand a chance."

"Then we go now," Angel said getting up from their hiding spot and running for the pier.

Wesley and Connor quickly followed.

The vampires spotted them instantly and ran out to meet the trio. The group of humans also rushed out. A mini battle was fought on the docks.

Wesley fought two of the vampires, two women from the gang fought one, a male from the group went up against one, a different man and his friend went up against two vampires, Connor fought four vampires on his own, three more gang members circled two vampires, the last gang member proudly fought three vampires on his own, and Angel fought five. The vampires were newly made and amateurs.

Wesley had no trouble taken out his two. He quickly realized that the vampires had no strategy when it came to fighting. They swung wildly and when he ducked the vampires attack each other. This caused a fight between the two demons and when they clung together, the former Watcher stabbed through their backs and through their hearts with two wooden stakes, turning the duo into dust.

The first gang member fought valiantly. He had a little more trouble than Wesley. He didn't have another vampire to trick the one he fought. He was hit and bruised until the vampire fell onto him. The man struggled. Seeing this, Wesley ran to help, quickly stabbing the vampire through his heart.

Meanwhile, the two women defeated their vampire by one of them pretending to be defenseless. While the vampire went to attack the one that he thought to be the weakest out of the two, the other woman chopped off his head and he faded to dust.

At the same time the three gang members defeated their two and the other man with a single vampire had one his fight.

By this time, Connor had defeated two of his four vampires. He was still a skilled fighter and was proving himself while he faced his opponents. He could have defeated them all easily by now, but he was toying with them, letting them think they have hope. It didn't take long before he decided he was bored that he swiftly dispatched the last two.

Angel was facing his last vampire, having tricked and dusted the other four minutes before. This vampire must have created the others. She was a little tougher than the others and she seemed to be a little older. She knew martial arts and was putting up a good fight, but still wasn't no match for the older Vampire. She kicked him high, Angel grabbed her leg and slammed her down on the ground, then he took out a stake and stabbed the vampire through her dead heart.

Last, the final gang member had destroyed one of the three vampires he was facing, but was having trouble with the final two. One of the vampires got behind him and its friend was about to attack the man's throat. The only thing that stopped that was Angel driving a stake through its heart.

The last vampire growled at Angel and through the man to the ground. He pounced Angel, forcing the older vampire to the ground. As the two vamps wrestled each other, the man recovered and grabbed a stake from his jacket. He waited until Angel was beneath the enemy vampire before killing him.

"Thanks," Angel said standing up and dusting himself off.

"No problem."

"Gunn?" Wesley asked approaching the two.

"English, you're alive?" Gunn asked in surprise.

"Higher beings said it wasn't my time," Wesley answered.

"Well, we've seen stranger," the black man laughed.

"Hi, Gunn," Connor greeted.

"Hey," Gunn said looking at the young man with suspicion.

"He's Connor, my son," Angel explained.

"Vamps can't have kids," said one of the women.

"It was prophesized," Angel said.

"How come I don't know him," Gunn asked.

"You didn't die," Wesley explained. "Apparently, when we joined Wolfram and Hart part of Angel's deal was for us to forget Connor. But when I died and was brought back, my memory was restored. That's why I remember Connor and you do not."

"Okay," Gunn said skeptically.

"Come on, Gunn, let's go home, I'm hungry," said one of the men.

Gunn looked at his tired group, then to his friends. He wanted to know what was going on with Angel and Wesley.

"You guys go on without me. I'm going to spend some time with my old friends. I'll be back later tonight," he decided.

"You sure," asked the other woman.

"Yeah, take care," Gunn said and his gang left. "So, we're going back to the hotel?"

When the group of four made it back to the Hyperion, Cordelia was up and had warmed up the pizza for Wesley, Connor, and herself. She had a cup of warm blood in the microwave for Angel.

"Welcome back," the woman greeted.

"Is that Cordelia?" Gunn asked Wesley.

"Yes," the British man answered. "Higher Beings brought her back too. And apparently she's good this time."

"So she says," Angel added.

"Gunn," Cordelia greeted and ran to the man to give him a tight hug. "I'm so happy to see you."

Gunn hugged her back.

"It's good to see you too, Barbie," he said with a nervous smile.

"Are you hungry?" Cordy asked. "There's pizza. I warmed up the whole thing in the oven and didn't burn it or anything."

The woman was excited that her family was slowly coming back together. It showed on her face and the way she skipped across the lobby to open the pizza box to show the reheated dinner.

"It does smell good," Gunn said. "Who am I to refuse a free meal?"

The group ate together, catching up on each other's lives. Angel even stayed downstairs to listen.

Gunn told the group that he had rejoined his gang and had to fight the leader to regain his former status. He made sure that the gang only fought bad demons and not the good ones that wished no harm to humans. He asked them how they knew to be at the pier and Cordelia told him she still got the visions.

"So, what are you guys doing for a living?" Gunn asked.

"We reopened Angel Investigations," Cordy answered.

"Really," Gunn said surprised. "How's that working out?"

"We had three cases this week," Connor answered proudly.

Impressed, Gunn stared at the young man.

"We never had that many in a week while I was working here," he said.

Cordy shrugged.

"Guess you were bad luck," she joked.

"Guess so," Gunn laughed. "But I do miss it."

"Why don't you rejoin us?" Wesley asked.

"I would like to, but I have a reponsiblity to my crew, I can't just abandon them again," Gunn said.

"We understand," Angel said.

"I'll help you every now and again, but my crew comes first," the fighter said.

And with that said, the AI team gained a fifth member.

END OF CH. 7


	9. Chapter 8 The Physicist

Chapter Eight-The Physicist

A couple of days later, Gunn had yet to visit Angel Investigations again, Connor was busy with school, and Angel was once again locked inside his room. Wesley was oblivious of the outside world.

If he wasn't setting up his books in the office, he was in Fred's room staring at the things she had left in there. He really loved the Texan and missed her terribly.

With the men off doing their own things, Cordelia was left to clean the hotel, well the rooms that were being used and she did not like that the men were not helping her at all. It wasn't fair. She wasn't the only one living there.

Despite her work, the seer was bored. There was nothing for them to do. The previous week had been so busy, but this week was incredibly boring. There were no cases for the AI team to work on.

The only thing they could do was wait. Waiting wasn't exactly the teams favorite thing to do.

So, it was no wonder why Cordelia was on clean up duty. She just wanted to keep her mind off the fact that they had no jobs.

Suddenly, Cordelia fell back, her body hitting the floor hard and she began to tense as a blinding pain surged through her skull. She couldn't breath, she couldn't scream. All she could do was feel the pain of not only the splitting headache the vision was causing her and from the torture that the people she saw would be experiencing.

A minute passed and the so did the vision. Cordelia held her head as she sat up, her head still throbbing. Despite her intense pain, she called out for anyone who could hear.

It was Wesley who heard her. He ran out of his office, calling for Angel as he cradled Cordy in his arms.

"Are you all right," he asked.

"I would be if you had brought some aspirin," Cordelia said with an attitude that she used when she was still in Sunnydale.

"Sorry," the ex watcher apologized.

"No," Cordy said. "I'm the one who's sorry. I shouldn't have gone all Queen C like that."

Wesley smiled down at her.

"I think I've got off kind of easy," he chuckled lightly.

Cordelia smiled up at her friend and was about to say something when she was interrupted by Angel clearing his throat. They turned to him to see the vampire standing over them with a glass of water and two aspirin. He knelt down to give them to Cordelia who thanked him before taking the medicine.

"Your vision," Angel said ignoring her gratitude.

The seer gazed up at him before nodding.

"I saw a large group of travelers coming in on a ship," she explained. "They're about to be demon food and when I say demon, I mean a big, water demon. We're going to need everyone for this one. We're not going to be able to fight it either. We're just going to have to save the people."

"Right," Wesley said. "Will you be all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Cordy answered before she began to stand on her own.

Wesley headed towards his office to call Connor and Gunn on their cells.

"Wes," Cordy called out as she slowly made her way to a chair. "Fred's there."

The former watcher stopped. He turned back to his friend.

"How," he said in an almost quiet voice.

"I don't know," Cordy said sadly.

Wesley stared at her for a moment, then he nodded and continued to walk into the office to call the others.

Later that night, the group made it to the pier just in time to see the ship had just finished being docked and even though there was no way onto the ship, the crew had no intention on allowing anyone off the ship, the AI team made it aboard. The crew already gone as soon as they could.

They made their way to where the passengers were being held that they felt the first rocking of the giant beast that was planning on feeding.

"We need to hurry," Cordy said in a loud whisper.

"We can't fight this thing. We're going to have to get the passengers off this ship," Angel said. "Wes, Cordy, and Gunn will handle the passengers. Connor and I will prepare the ramp for everyone to get off."

Gunn and Connor nodded silently and headed out to gather the crew. Angel went off on his own, living the Seer and the former Watcher by the door that locked the people they needed to save inside.

"What was that?" asked a woman.

"It was nothing," said Fred. "Probably just the wind."

"That has to be a huge wind," said a man.

The ship rocked again, only more violently. People slammed into one another. Some fell to the ground and others were crushed into the walls.

"Everyone, follow us," Wesley said from the now opened door. "We're going to get you to safety."

The small crowd rushed out into the hall, pushing and shoving, not caring if everyone made it out in one piece as long as they and their family made it out. Gunn led them out onto the ship's deck.

Fred was the last one out.

"Wesley?" she asked her long lost Texan twang returning to her voice.

"Yes, it's me," he said.

Fred smiled brightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

"Excuse me," Cordy said clearing her throat.

Fred stared at the other with wide eyes. She then squealed and enveloped her in a tight hug.

"Fred, it's good to see you too," Cordy said in a chocked voice. "But could you let me go, there's a demon coming and I can't breath."

"Oh, sorry," Fred said letting go.

"It's all right," Cordelia said. "Let's get off this thing."

Just then the boat rocked again and they lost their balance.

"We have to go now," Wes said firmly.

They hurried to the deck to see everyone else was off the ship. They made their way to the ramp and was nearly thrown off as the ship rocked again. After that, they practically crawled off the ship.

Then the AI team hurried off the pier with the people and then the people fled as the demon rose from the ocean and grab the ship causing it to sink. It dragged the empty vessel away from shore.

The AI team stared at the spectacle, the demon didn't seem to have noticed that it's meal was no longer onboard. When everything was calmed, they looked at one another.

"Home?" Connor asked with a shrug.

Everyone else looked at him and nodded. They walked to Angel's car and Gunn's trunk and headed home.

After a silent drive, the group entered into the Hyperion.

"I can't believe it," Fred said in awe breaking the silence. "I mean I can. I mean, I've seen it before, but still… The Hyperion is looking great."

"Thanks," Cordelia said. She wasn't ashamed of taking the credit for cleaning the hotel. She pretty much did all the work herself anyway.

Fred smiled at her. She stepped from the group to look around. She spun in a circle taking in her former home, stopping to stare at her five friends.

"So, we're back," she said before shaking her head no. "I mean, Are we back? Are we a team?"

The group looked at one another and smiled.

"Yeah, we're back," Angel answered and Fred squealed.

She ran to Cordy and hugged her tightly.

"I'm so happy," she said.

"I think we all are." Cordy said.

No truer words were said. They all were truly happy. Some happier than others, but they all were satisfied with their lives.

Finally they were all home. The vampire, the brain, the seer, the prodigal son, the warrior, and the physicist, the Angel Investigation team were one once more.

As the since of family, home, and friendship settled within the group, a bright light flashed and surrounded the make shift family and they vanished from the hotel.

END OF CH. 8


	10. Chapter 9 Family

Chapter Nine-Family

The AI team found themselves on a completely white space. There was nothing there absolutely nothing. Other than them there was no one there.

"Where are we?" asked Fred.

"It looks like the White Room at Wolfram and Hart," Gunn said.

"Do you think they're behind this?" asked Connor.

"I don't know," Angel answered.

"The evil that is Wolfram and Hart has nothing to do with your presence here," said a soft, feminine, angelic voice. "They will be out of your lives for at least a years time."

"Then, how and who are you?" Cordelia asked.

The entity made herself visible. She appeared to be a 5'5" human female in her early twenties. She had beautifully pale skin that contrasted her long black hair that flowed past her bottom. She was barefoot and wore nothing but a white dress slip. Her lips were a soft pink and her eyes, they were the most shocking part about her. Her eyes were as white as the room they all stood.

"The Fates made a mistake," the entity answered. "You were not meant to be parted.

"I have no name," she said. "I am a messenger. I am here to tell you why all of you were brought back to your previous lives and the rewards for your services for the side of good."

Angel crossed his arms in a guarded pose. It was obvious that he did not believe her. He was really sick of people saying they were doing something for him, only to be betrayed at a later time. He wanted the rest of his existence to be interference free.

"Who sent you?" he asked coldly.

"The higher ups," the messenger answered. "Higher than the Powers That Be. They felt that you have suffered enough."

"So, they brought us back," Wesley said more than asked.

The messenger turned to him and smiled.

"Yes," she said. "All of you are a powerful team. Parted you are weak. You need to be together. We need you on our side."

"Let me get this straight," Gunn said. "You brought us back to fight the good fight?"

"That is correct," the entity nodded. "Are you ungrateful?"

The way she said this did not sound like an insult but an honest inquiry.

"Would you have rather been bitten and turned into a vampire?"

She turned to Wesley.

"Would you rather be dead?"

She then turned to Cordelia.

"Would you rather be a Higher Being with no purpose?"

She turned to Connor.

"Would you rather feel out of place, confused about who you are, where you are from or where you belong?

She turned to Fred next.

"Would you rather be trapped inside you own body, neither alive or dead?"

Finally she turned to Angel.

"Would you rather be alone and empty?"

They all began to feel guilty. They each had been given a second chance at life, the should not have been so suspicious. They should have just been happy to be back on Earth and together.

"Okay, we get your point," Angel said.

The entity frowned.

"You are a rude one," she said.

"Earlier, you mentioned rewards," Cordy said before Angel could say anything else.

"Yes," the messenger said and smiled again.

She stepped back to look at them.

"Your rewards are simple," she said. "Your lives is your main reward. But for Miss Burkle, Miss Chase, and Angel there is more."

She paused to direct her attention to Fred.

"Miss Burkle, your reward is freedom from the goddess. Illyria will no longer possess your body.

She then turned her gaze to Cordelia.

""Seer, you not only get your life, you get to keep your demon. Unfortunately, the power to make them painless was the power of the higher being that took over your body. That said, the powers will continue to cause you pain."

Cordy shrugged.

"As long as they don't kill me," she said.

The messenger smiled at her before turning to Angel.

"Your reward is your friends, your family," she said. "And your soul."

The group stared at the vampire in shock. Angel's soul was now permanent.

"You and your friends will fight the good fight until you become human," the entity said.

"Thank you," Cordelia said.

Even though it was the seer who said it, the messenger knew that it was from the entire group.

She smiled at them and in a flash the team was transported back to the Hyperion like nothing had happened at all.

END OF CH. 9


	11. Chapter 11 The Heart

Epilogue-The Heart

After their outer world experience, everything fell back into place. The Angel Investigation team's life was back to normal. Well, if you could call their lives normal.

They got call and they worked cases. They got paid when a client could afford to pay.

The days turned into weeks and quicker than they realized, they, from when Cordy reappeared to Fred, had been together for three months.

Gunn moved into the Hyperion. He found that he felt more at home with Angel Investigations than he did with his gang.

Connor was still being a normal college student during the day and being a warrior at night. His life was at a complete balance. He even had a girlfriend.

Fred and Wesley began to formally date as soon as they s the Texan settled back into the hotel. It was like they never parted and by the end of their second week together, Fred moved into Wesley's room.

As for angel and Cordelia, they had come to a truce when they were transported back to the hotel. Cordy who was always civil to Angel before began to treat him like she used to. And Angel began to slowly realize she was really his Cordelia and started to treat her as such.

One day, on the third month anniversary of when she first appeared she and Angel finally sat in Angel's room at night.

"I think it's time we finally talk," the Vampire said.

Cordy stared at him shocked. She had thought it would take her locking them in a room herself and forcing him to talk about their situation.

"Okay, shoot," she said.

"I…" Angel said running his hand through his hair unsure of what exactly to say. "I know you really Cordelia Chase, my Cordelia Chase."

"It's about time," the seer said.

Angel glared at her.

"I just want to apologize for my behavior the last few months."

Cordelia smiled sweetly up at him. She approached him. Placing his cheeks into he r hands, she tilted his face towards hers.

"You really didn't need to apologize," she said. "I understand why you treated me the way you did. Hey, I don't blame you. If it had been the other way around, I would have staked you the moment I saw you."

Angel chuckled.

"I love you," he said before he realized it.

Cordy's smile widened and she leaned up to kiss the vampire sweetly.

"I know," she said. "I've know for a while now."

"And?" Angel asked nervously.

"I love you too," the Seer said.

"Good," Angel said smiling at her and kissed her with deep longing.

"You know this mean you going to have to star wining and dining me," Cordy joked.

Angel joked as he first thought about the cost then thought about it.

"I think it will be worth it," he said and they laughed.

END OF DARKNESS


End file.
